It is written: “But be not thou, O Lord, far from me; my Hind (eyaluti), haste thee to help me” (Ps. 22, 20). These words did King David speak in that hour when he ordered that hymns of praise should be sung to the King, so that the unity of the Sun and the Moon should be accomplished. While he composed these praises, he said: “But be not thou far from me”.
The combination of “Thou” and “Lord” signifies the mystery of the one inseparable union. “Be not far”: this refers to Her (the Shekinah) when she ascends to be crowned by her Spouse in the world above, and from thence to ascend still higher into the Infinite, to be united there, high, high, above. Therefore it says: “be not far”, that is to say, do not ascend to such heights that will leave us without Thee.
Therefore through this service of praise Israel seek to attach themselves closely to the Shekinah and her Glory, so that if this Glory should seek to rise aloft they may still cling to it and not allow it to abandon them. Therefore, also, the prayer proper (Amidah) is recited quietly, as one would speak confidentially with a King; for as long as Israel holds Him in confidential converse He cannot depart from her, leaving her alone.
“My hind”: even as the hind and the gazelle, though they flee to a far distance, yet soon return again to the place from which they went, so also the Holy One, blessed be He, even when He ascends into the unscalable heights of infinity, soon returns. Why so? Because Israel here below cling to Him, and being so attached to Him do not allow Him to forget them and abandon them. This is the significance of the prayer, “My hind, haste Thee to help me.”
Therefore it behoves us to cling to the Holy One, blessed be He, in order so to speak to draw Him down from the heights, so that we should not be deserted by Him for an instant. Therefore, when we pass quickly from the Geulah (Redemption) benediction to the Prayer (Amidah or eighteen benedictions) we must, as it were, lay hold on Him, and lead Him apart, and converse with Him privately and in a still voice, in confidence, so that He should not depart far from us and leave us alone. Concerning this it is written: “And ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive to-day” (Deut. 4, 4); “Blessed is the people who is in such a case; blessed is the people who has the Lord for its God” (Ps. 144, 15).
Having reached this point, R. Simeon rose and the Companions likewise, and they walked away from the tree in the valley. Said R. Eleazar unto R. Simeon his father as they journeyed on: ‘Father, up to this point we have been sitting in the shadow of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Hereafter we must assuredly walk in the ways which guard this Tree.’ R. Simeon replied: ‘Begin thou first, while we are yet upon the way!’
כְּתִיב (תהילים כ״ב:כ׳) וְאַתָּה יְיָ' אַל תִּרְחָק אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה. דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר דָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה מְתַקֵּן וּמְסַדֵּר תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין לְחַבְּרָא שִׁמְשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא. כֵּיוָן דְּהֲוָה מְתַקֵּן וּמְסַדֵּר שְׁבָחִין דִּילֵיהּ לְאִתְחַבְּרָא, אָמַר וְאַתָּה יְיָ' אַל תִּרְחָק.
It is written: “But be not thou, O Lord, far from me; my Hind (eyaluti), haste thee to help me” (Ps. 22, 20). These words did King David speak in that hour when he ordered that hymns of praise should be sung to the King, so that the unity of the Sun and the Moon should be accomplished. While he composed these praises, he said: “But be not thou far from me”.
וְאַתָּה יְיָ' רָזָא (רנ"א ע"א, ק"מ ע"א, קע"ט ע"ב) דְּחַבְרוּתָא חֲדָא בְּלֹא פִּרוּדָא. אַל תִּרְחָק, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהִי סַלְּקָא לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּבַעְלָהּ, וְכֹלָּא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וּמִתַּמָּן בָּעֵי לְסַלְּקָא לְאֵין סוֹף, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כֹּלָּא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּבְּגִין כָּךְ אַל תִּרְחָק, לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִינָן, לְשַׁבְקָא לָן.
The combination of “Thou” and “Lord” signifies the mystery of the one inseparable union. “Be not far”: this refers to Her (the Shekinah) when she ascends to be crowned by her Spouse in the world above, and from thence to ascend still higher into the Infinite, to be united there, high, high, above. Therefore it says: “be not far”, that is to say, do not ascend to such heights that will leave us without Thee.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ, בְּגוֹ סִדּוּרָא דְּתוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא, בָּעָאן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִתְכַּלְּלָא תַּמָּן, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ מִתַּתָּא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא יִבְעֵי לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא הַאי כָּבוֹד, הָא יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ וְתַקְפִין בֵּיהּ, דְּלָא שַׁבְקֵי לֵיהּ לְאִתְרַחֲקָא מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְעַל דָּא צְלוֹתָא בְּלָחַשׁ, כְּמַאן דְּמַלִּיל בְּרָזָא עִם מַלְכָּא, וּבְעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָזָא עִמֵּיהּ, לָא אִתְרָחֲקָא מִנֵּיהּ כְּלָל.
Therefore through this service of praise Israel seek to attach themselves closely to the Shekinah and her Glory, so that if this Glory should seek to rise aloft they may still cling to it and not allow it to abandon them. Therefore, also, the prayer proper (Amidah) is recited quietly, as one would speak confidentially with a King; for as long as Israel holds Him in confidential converse He cannot depart from her, leaving her alone.
אֱיָלוּתִי, מָה אַיָּל וּצְבִי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַזְלֵי וּמְרַחֲקֵי, מִיַּד אָהַדְרָן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּשַׁבְקֵי, אוּף קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִסְתַּלָּק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא בְּאֵין סוֹף, מִיַּד אַהְדָּר לְאַתְרֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא אִתְאַחֲדָן בֵּיהּ, וְלָא שַׁבְקִין לֵיהּ לְאִתְנַשְּׁיָא, (מניה) וּלְאִתְרַחֲקָא מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְעַל דָּא, אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה.
“My hind”: even as the hind and the gazelle, though they flee to a far distance, yet soon return again to the place from which they went, so also the Holy One, blessed be He, even when He ascends into the unscalable heights of infinity, soon returns. Why so? Because Israel here below cling to Him, and being so attached to Him do not allow Him to forget them and abandon them. This is the significance of the prayer, “My hind, haste Thee to help me.”
וּבְגִין כַּךְ בָּעֵינָן לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ, כְּמַאן דְּאַמְשִׁיךְ מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּבַק בַּר נָשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, אֲפִילּוּ שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא. וְעַל דָּא כַּד סָמִיךְ גְּאוּלָה לִתְפִלָּה, בָּעֵי לְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בַּהֲדֵיהּ בִּלְחִישׁוּ, בְּרָזָא, דְּלָא יִתְרְחַק מִינָן, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּבַּק מִינָן, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְכֶם הַיּוֹם. (תהילים קמ״ד:ט״ו) אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁיְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו.
Therefore it behoves us to cling to the Holy One, blessed be He, in order so to speak to draw Him down from the heights, so that we should not be deserted by Him for an instant. Therefore, when we pass quickly from the Geulah (Redemption) benediction to the Prayer (Amidah or eighteen benedictions) we must, as it were, lay hold on Him, and lead Him apart, and converse with Him privately and in a still voice, in confidence, so that He should not depart far from us and leave us alone. Concerning this it is written: “And ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive to-day” (Deut. 4, 4); “Blessed is the people who is in such a case; blessed is the people who has the Lord for its God” (Ps. 144, 15).
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, קָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְחַבְרַיָּא אוּף הָכִי קָמוּ וְאָזְלוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּי, אַבָּא, עַד הָכָא הֲוֵינָא יַתְבֵי בְּצִלָּא דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה דְּאֲנָן אָזְלִין, אִצְטְרִיךְ לָן לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאָרְחוֹי דְּנַטְרָן אִילָנָא דָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אַנְתְּ תִּשְׁרֵי בְּשֵׁירוּתָא לְמִפְתַּח בְּאָרְחָא.
Having reached this point, R. Simeon rose and the Companions likewise, and they walked away from the tree in the valley. Said R. Eleazar unto R. Simeon his father as they journeyed on: ‘Father, up to this point we have been sitting in the shadow of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Hereafter we must assuredly walk in the ways which guard this Tree.’ R. Simeon replied: ‘Begin thou first, while we are yet upon the way!’